Jake Gyllenhaal’s action-packed remake of the 1989 hit Road House sees Conor McGregor going head-to-head with some of Hollywood’s best in his acting debut.
But for one co-star, preparing to fight the UFC legend, even just in acting terms, nearly proved to be too much.
When asked what the atmosphere was like on set that day, Lukas Gage had no hesitation in saying: “Terrifying.”
Speaking to Daily Express at the film’s London premiere, the White Lotus star assured he had plenty of “absolutely insane” training beforehand to make him a worthy opponent for the professional boxer.
Still, the 28-year-old candidly admitted that Conor was still “so scary” even when he was pulling his punches.
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After spending some time with Conor, while they were both out of character, Lukas quickly learned that the intimidating mixed martial artist “is one of the nicest guys”.
With a nervous chuckle, the Euphoria actor added: “It’s hilarious now that I know him but he’s a scary guy.
“I would not want to get in a fight with him in real life.”
Despite his fears, Lukas gushed over his fond memories of working with the stunt team, revealing it was the same coordinators working on James Cameron’s Avatar franchise.
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He shared: “It’s working with the best of the best, so it was a dream.”
The adrenaline-fueled retelling of Patrick Swayze’s 1989 classic has already received backlash before its release as some fans feel it will “disrespect” the late actor’s memory and reignited the debate over Hollywood’s penchant for remaking blockbusters.
In the new flick, Jake Gyllenhaal takes on Patrick’s role as former UFC champion Dalton who is hired as a bouncer at a roadhouse in Florida Keys that has been plagued with troublemakers.
Lukas portrays Billy, a bartender at the Road House that Dalton takes under his wing to provide a bit more protection to the establishment as the reasons behind the seemingly random attacks go far deeper than expected and ultimately sees both characters going head-to-head with Conor’s feisty Knox.
Road House releases on Prime Video on March 21.